title: Recall strategies for the verbal fluency test in patients with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterised by inflammation and demyelination. It generates irreversible myelin changes, which in turn give rise to physical and cognitive disorders. The verbal fluency test (VF) has been shown to be a sensitive tool for detecting cognitive impairment in these patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare quantitative and qualitative aspects of performance on semantic and phonological fluency tests between MS patients and healthy controls by analysing total words produced and strategies used (clusters and switching).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 46 patients with MS and 33 healthy controls using the VF test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The semantic VF task revealed no significant differences between groups; for the phonological task, patients demonstrated reduced word production (F [77]=2.286 P<.001) and poorer use of grouping strategies, resulting in more frequent switching (F [77]=3.808 P<.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support using qualitative analysis for recall strategies, since the technique provides data about which components of the task are affected by brain damage. Clusters depend on the integrity of semantic memory, while switching has to do with developing effective search strategies, cognitive flexibility, and the ability to modify responses. Frontal lobe damage has been reported in MS, and this is consistent with results from the phonological VF test.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuropsicología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía MVS, Ciudad de México, México; Departamento de Neurociencias, FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Velázquez-Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurociencias, FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marosi-Holczberger
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuropsicología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía MVS, Ciudad de México, México.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Agudelo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurociencias, FES Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Estado de México, México.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yañez-Tellez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuropsicología, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía MVS, Ciudad de México, México. Electronic address: mireyachavez@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chávez-Oliveros
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D014705:Verbal Behavior
keywords: Agrupaciones; Clusters; Esclerosis múltiple; Fluidez fonológica; Fluidez semántica; Multiple sclerosis; Phonological fluency; Saltos; Semantic fluency; Switching